Coopers Plains family fury over council Christmas lights stoush
A Queensland family with a spectacular Christmas lights display say Council has forced them to “shut them down” after a neighbourhood dispute. SEE THE VIDEO
Ipswich
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A Coopers Plains family has taken to social media to express their outrage after Brisbane City Council sent them a notice about their massive Christmas lights display.
Jamie Lehmann and his partner Laeticia Lay of Keeling Street, Coopers Plains, both took to TikTok and their dedicated Facebook group to share that it was “Christmas cancelled” after council “shut them down” having received complaints from neighbours regarding the display.
However chair for city standards, Councillor Kim Marx said that the residents were not required to completely remove their display, but had opted to.
“Christmas is a special time of the year and we really support residents decorating their homes and street trees but public areas must remain safe and accessible,” she said.
“Council did not advise this resident to completely remove their display but did require a minor adjustment so other residents could safely park and exit their cars.
“It was the residents’ decision not to make these adjustments.”
According to Facebook posts by the residents in the house’s own Christmas lights Facebook group, they had received complaints from neighbours in previous years as well, and believed the complaints related to them blocking footpath access in front of their home for their display.
They stated that they had specifically designed the display this year to ensure that there was an accessible walkway built through their display.
In a video posted to social media, Mr Lehmann addressed their decision to not make the “minor adjustments” requested by the council.
“Christmas in cancelled this year …” he said.
“Sits there and says, oh I can f---ing pull it back and leave 1.2 (metres) from boundary, that’s it.
“That’s not part of their festive f---ing footpaths scheme.”
Councillor Marx said Brisbane City Council had received two complaints regarding the accessibility of the walkway, but that council officers had also discovered that the residents had bolted some decorations to an Energex power pole and had cut backstreet trees to make room for decorations.
She said that the residents had also posted images on their Facebook pages regarding the cutting of the street trees.
Festive Footpaths is a program being trialled by the council this year which allows residents to decorate footpaths and street trees, with certain compliance restrictions in place.
These restrictions include that decorations must not damage street trees, must not obstruct or create a hazard for pedestrians, cyclists or people exiting vehicles and must not negatively impact the environment and surrounding infrastructure.
The residents told Facebook fans that they had contacted council, local members of parliament as well as several news sites about the issue.
Ms Lay told fans in a comment that her partner, Mr Lehmann had been given a fine, however Councillor Marx said that was not the case.
“They have apparently given my partner a fine and said if it isn’t removed they’ll come and remove it themselves,” Ms Lay wrote.
Councillor Marx said that council wished to work with the residents to create a safe display, and said that they had complied with council restrictions in previous years.
The residents have been contacted for comment.
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